Material serving apparatus



. Patented Nov. 4, i947 V OFFICE MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Harry B. Merwin, Rutherford. and Gordon 0.- Spillman, Roselle, N. 1., assignors to-Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 11, 196, Serial No. 696,127

5 Claims.

This invention relates to'material serving apparatus, particularly those for serving materials spirally on longitudinally advancing cores.

In .the manufacture of cables for use in the .communication arts, certain types of cables are composed of individual pairs of insulated eleetrical conductors led from their supply reels through a face plate which locateseach pair of conductors according to the position it is to assume in the cable. After leaving the face plate, the pairs of conductors may then pass through a forming die which groups the pairs into a cylindrical cable core. The core upon leaving the forming die passes through a cotton serving head where a cotton binding is applied and continues through a stranding mechanism to a take-up reel upon terial serving apparatus wherein tension in the material being served is maintained constant to enable serving'of the material on an advancing core at a rate of speed higher than that normally employed.

With this and other objects in view the invention comprises a material serving apparatus including the rotatable hollow shaft through which a core is advanced longitudinally, the core in the present instance being composed of a plurality of insulated electrical conductors. A hollow spindle disposed concentric with the shaft and 'free to rotate thereon, supports a supply of material, such as a textile strand to be wound spirally on the core while the core advances through the shaft. The spindle and the su ply of material are rotated'through the pulling force of the material draw :1 from the supply, the minimum speed of rotation of the material and spindle being greater than the speed of rotation of the shaft. A braking element is mounted for rotation with the shaft and for movement axially of the shaft whereby it may be moved to engage the supply. of material throughout the serving of the material on the core. Means controlled by a fluid under a constant pressure moves the brake element toward the supply to cause the supply of material comparable to variations in the size of the supply as the material pays off. In effect. the braking element has a contoured surface which will translate the constant force from the fluid pressure into a varying braking force with variations in the lever arm of the supply of material as the supply decreases in diameter during the serving operation.

Another feature of the invention is embodied in the counteracting effect of the fluid, namely air under pressure and the lubricating means for the various bearings supporting the shaft. It is necessary for the air under pressure to travel into and through passageways in the hollow shaft to the brake element and in so doing, certain of the passageways are located in a highly lubricated portion of the apparatus; It is thereforearranged whereby the lubricating liquid will prevent leakage of the air under pressure into the bearings and in a similar manner the air under pressure will prevent seepage of the lubricatin oil into the passageways for the air under pressure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figs. land 2 combined represent a vertical sectional view of'the material serving apparatus; and r Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1,

The apparatus is mounted in a horizontal position on a suitable support or frame It) and includes a main housing ll centrall apertured for a hollow shaft ii. The shaft 12 is of varying cross-sectional contours throughout its lengthbut extends from one end of theapparatus to the other, that is, through both Figs. 1 and 2 and it is through this shaft that a, cable core I4 is advanced longitudinally. The hollow shaft I2 is 'driven by belts l5 extending from any suitable with the shaft I! to close their respective ends of the housing. A cover plate 25 closes the upper end of the housing and in this plate a suitable oil cup 26 enables the operator to fill the reserelement to apply a varying braking force to the .voir 21 with a liquid lubricant for the various 2,4so,sos'

bearings. Wicks 28 positioned in tubular members 28 in the housing supply oil from the reservoir 2! to their respective pairs of bearings. The lower hollow portion of thehousing ii constitutes a chamber 88 to receive the lubricant after it has passed to the bearings. v

Beyond the housing II at the left, the shaft l2 supports a cup or guard 88 which rotates with the shaft. A supply of material 88, which in the present instance is a textile-strand 81 initially wound on a core 88, is removably mounted on a spindle 88 supported for free rotation on bearings 48 disposed at spaced positions on the shaft l2. A latching unit 42 which is the subject matter of the copending application of G. C. Spillman, Serial No. 696,125, filed September 11, 1946, is mounted on the end of a reduced portion of the spindle. This unit has spaced arms 48 movable from the locking position shown in Fig. 1 where the arms, .only one of which is shown, engage the core 88 and hold it in place on the spindle, and a loading position where the ends of the arms are positioned within the periphery of the'spindle.

A brake element 44 of the cross-sectional contour shown in Fig. 1 is connected by a driving unit 45 to the shaft l2, the drivirfi unit being the subject matter of the copending application of H. H. Merwin, Serial No. 696,126, filed September 11, 1946. The unit 45 in the present embodiment includes ball members 46 positioned in concaved grooves or recesses 41 and 48 in the shaft l2 and the element 44 respectively to form a positive driving connection between the shaft and the element leaving the element free for axial movement relative to the shaft. The brake element 44 has an annular chamber 48, in the open end of which an annular member 49 is disposed, the member 49 being fixedly mounted on an enlarged portion 58 of the shaft I2. The face or braking surface SI of the element 44 is of a given contour, as illustrated, to engage the adjacent end of the supply 38 to create a brake drag, on the material, which varies effectively as the material 37 pays off the supp y.

The means for applying a constant force to the brake element 44 includes fluid'such as air under pressure received from a supply line 55 through a fixed reducing valve 88, an adjustable reducing valve 51 and through a line 88 into the housing ii. The first reducing valve 88 reduces the pressure of the air from that of the supply (90 pounds) to a given lower pressure pounds). A further reduction of the pressure of the air is accomplished through adjustment of the valve 51, the pressure of the air in the line 58 being indicated by the pressure gage 88. The line 58 extends through-the reservoir 21 and empties into a passageway 6| in the housing II. The passageway 6| communicates with passageways 82 extending laterally at spaced positions in the shaft I2. A sleeve or inner portion of the shaft l2 provides passageways 84 which connect the passageways 62 .with passageways 65, these passageways extending through the enlarged por-' tion 58 of the shaft I2 as shown in Fig. 1. The annular member 48 has an annular recess or hollow portion 88 connected by passageways 68 to the passageways 88 and also to the hollow compartment 48 of the brake element 44. To assure against irregular pressures effecting the braking force of the element 44 against the supply 36, particularly when the apparatus begins its operation and the valve 51 is initially opened, a baflie I8 is mounted in the recess 68 to deflect the jets Attention is again directed to Fig.8 at the exit end of the line 88 where the housing II is provided with annular ribs 12 forming annular compartments." between the bearings. 28 and] Hand upon each side ,of thepassa eways 62. The chambers 18 have outlets 14 w ch empty into a passageway 15 in the housing, the passageway I5 leading on the outside of the bearings 28 and 2| to the chamber 88 at the bottom of the housing li.. With this structure the lubricant or oil in the reservoir 21 fed to the bearings through the wicks 28wil1 be separated from the airline and its passageways 62 by the ribs or walls 12 and the annular chambers 18. However, small quantities of the oil may seep into the chambers 13 beneath the outer ribs 12. In a like manner,

- ther maybe a seepage of air from the passageway 8i beneath the inner ribs 12 and into the chambers I8. The resulting effect will be that whatever oil may enter the chambers 18 will be forced through the outlets I4 and through the passageways '15 into the chamber 88 by the counteracting force of the small quantity of air which may seep out, maintaining the air passageways free of the lubricant. I

Before considering the operation of the apparatus, the steps for loading the apparatus with a supply of material will be considered. At this time the airline 58 may be closed at the valve 51 removing the pressure from the brake element 44. If desired, means may be provided such as an additional valve to open the passageways for the escapement of air from the chamber 48 so that the brake element 44 may be moved to the rightv l4 after which the apparatus is set in motion, the

valve 51 having been opened to admit air at predetermined pressure indicated by the gage 68 to pass through the line 58 and the various passageways into the chamber 48 to establish a given braking force on the material of the supply to create a given tension in the strand 31 as it is wound spirally on the core. During this time the core is advanced at a given rate of speed and the shaft I2 ,is rotated in a direction to wind the strand material on the core. The cup 35 and the brake element 44 rotate with the shaft at the same rate of speed. Th supply 86 in the present instance is caused to rotate in the same direction, as the shaft and brake element, by the pulling of the strand 81 oil the supply. The speed of rotation of the supply, 86, which is greater than the speed of the brake element at all times, will increase as the supply decreases in size, decreasing the lever arm of the supply. This in itself will tend to increase the tension in the strand 31 in v rate of speed during the decreasing diameter of the supply. It is important therefore that the brake element, to create a constant tension in the strand 81, apply its maximum braking force when the supply is full, that is, at the beginning of the serving operation, and to successively decreas its braking force on the supply as the supply decreases in size. This is made possible through the contouring of the surface 5| which is so formed that a smaller area thereof will engage the supply 36 as the supply decreases in size. In this manner, the constant force applied to the brake element 44, through air under pressure, will be translated into a variable or decreasing braking force applied to the material of the supply to maintain a constant tension in the strand 31. The braking element 44, although rotating with the shaft I2 in the sam direction as the supply 36 but at a slower speed, will be moved axially of the shaft to engage the supply at all times and apply its desired braking force to the material.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein with-' out departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow shaft through which a core is advanced longitudinally, means to rotate the shaft, a spindle, for supporting a supply of material to be wound spirally on the advancing core, mounted for free rotation on the shaft, means rotated by the shaft to wind the material from thesupply onto the core and cause rotation of the supply by the paying off of the material at a rate of speed faster than the speed of rotation of the shaft, a brake element disposed concentric with the shaft and having a surface formed to engage the supply and apply a diminishing braking force to the supply with the diminishing diameter of the supply as the material pays oif the supply during application of a constant force to move the element, and fluid operated means to appiy'a predetermined constant force to-the brake element to move the element axially of the shaft to create a substantially constant tension in the material as it is wound On the core.

2. A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow shaft through which a core is advanced longitudinally, means to. rotate the shaft,a spindle, for supporting a supply. of material to be wound spirally on the advancing core, mounted for free rotation on the shaft, means rotated by the shaft to wind th material from the supply onto the core and cause rotation of the supply by the paying off of the material at a rate of speed faster than the speed of rotation of the shaft, a brake element disposed concentric with the shaft a surface formed to engage the supply and apply a diminishing braking force to the supply with the diminishing diameter of the supply as the material pays off the supply during application of a constant force to move the element, the brake element having a chamber therein open at one side opposite the supply. a fluid directing member rotatable with the shaft and formed to close the open end of the chamber, and means to directa fluid under pressure through the member into the chamber to move the element axially of the shaft to create a substantially constant tension I iii the pa off of the material at a rate of speed faster than the speed of rotation of the shaft, a brake element disposed concentric with the shaft and having a surface formed to engage the supply and apply a diminishing braking force to the supply with the diminishing diameter of the supply as the material pays off the supply during application of a constant force to move the element, the brakeelement having a chamber therein open at the one side opposite the supply, a fluid directing member rotatable with the shaft and formed to close the openend of the chamber, means to direct a fluid under pressure through the mem-- her into the chamber to move the element axially of the shaft to create a substantially constant tension in the material as it is wound on the core, and a baffle controlling the flow of the fluid from th member into the chamber.

4. A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow shaft through which a core is advanced longitudinally, means to rotate the shaft, a spindle, for supporting a supply of material to be wound spirally on the advancing core, mounted for free rotation on the shaft, means rotated by the shaft to wind the material from the supply onto the core and cause rotation of the supply by the paying off of the material at a rate of speed faster than the speed of rotation of the shaft, a brake element disposed concentric with the shaft and having a surface formed to engage the supply and apply a diminishing braking force to the supply with the diminishing diameter of the supply as the material pays off the supply during application of a constant force to move the element, a driving unit interposed between the shaft and the brake element. and including .ball members to form a positive driving connection therebetween and leave the brake free to mov axially on the shaft relative to the supply, and fluid operated means to apply a predetermined constant force to the brake element to move the element axially of the shaft to create a substantially constant tension in the material as it is wound on I th shaft to wind the material from the supply onto the core and cause rotation'of the supply by the paying on of the material at a rate of speed faster than the speed of rotation of the shaft, a brake element mounted to rotate with the shaft and to move axially of the shaft relative to the supply, the brake element being formed to engage the supply and apply a diminishing braking force to the supply with the diminishing diameter of the supply as the material pays off the supply a during application of a constant force to move usthe element, means to direct the liquid lubricant to the bearings, means effected by air under pressure to force the brake element to apply a given brake drag on the supply to create a substantially constant tension in the material as it is wound on the core.

' HARRY H. MERWIN.

I GORDON C. SPILLMAN. 

